Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a bicycle shoe and pedal system including a novel application of shoe studs conventionally used in soccer and other outdoor sports, more specifically the invention relates to the use of studs as a means of engaging a bicycle shoe with a bicycle pedal.
2. Description of Related Art
Off-road or mountain bicycling often involves riding in rough terrain over hills, rocks, roots, and other obstructions that pose special requirements for bicycle shoes and pedals. The ideal shoe and pedal system would enable the shoe to exert pushing and pulling force on the pedal without slipping, stay firmly in contact with the pedal over difficult terrain, allow the foot to pivot or float on the pedal to prevent knee strain, release quickly to enable a rider to extend a foot to the ground to prevent a fall when stopping unexpectedly, readily re-engage with the pedal after frequent stops, and provide good traction and light weight for running or walking with the bicycle.
Pedal toe clips and straps traditionally used to prevent a bicycle shoe from slipping off a pedal have distinct disadvantages when riding off-road. Shortcomings of toe clips and straps include the pedal initially disposed upside down due to the weight of the clip and strap, difficulty inserting the shoe through the opening formed by the strap, the need to reach down and tighten or loosen the strap by hand, and the consequent inability to rapidly remove feet from pedals in the event of an unanticipated stop. U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,425 to Barefoot (1990) discloses a diagonal strap enabling easier entrance and exit of the shoe to and from the pedal. The mountain bicyclist tightens the diagonal strap by inward rotation of the heel of the shoe, so the strap can be loosened in anticipation of difficult terrain to permit quicker exit. Unfortunately by loosening the strap in rough riding, the cyclist has a less secure grip on the pedal at a time when more control is needed. In an unanticipated event such as a bicycle wheel slipping sideways in loose terrain, the bicycle rider with a tightened strap may not have time to loosen the strap and remove the shoe quickly enough to prevent a fall and possible injury. Another problem with the diagonal strap is that with wear or in wet or muddy conditions, the strap tends to flatten preventing easy insertion of the shoe. Lastly the need to twist the heel inward, toward the bicycle, to tighten the strap decreases the degree of xe2x80x9cfloat,xe2x80x9d that is, the freedom to rotate the foot on the pedal to lessen strain on knees while pedaling.
As an alternative to toe clips and straps, clipless bicycle pedals use mechanical binding mechanisms to engage a cleat, or plate, on the rider""s shoe to securely attach shoes to pedals. Release of shoes from clipless pedals requires outward twists of the cyclist""s heels. In some unexpected or emergency situations, the cyclist may have difficulty executing the outward ankle twist resulting in delayed or unsuccessful release of the shoe from the pedal. During a fall, if the shoe remains attached to the pedal, the high torque created and applied to the foot, ankle, leg, knee, and hip may result in severe injury. This problem can be exacerbated in typical off-road conditions where dirt or mud impairs the release mechanisms of many pedals. Even when the outward twist release maneuver can be executed smoothly with both shoes, the fraction of a second required to complete the movement may significantly delay the extension of the rider""s foot to the ground necessary to prevent a fall. When riding in difficult or steep terrain, a rider may try to use the pedal without clamping the shoe to the pedal. However, most clipless pedals do not provide enough contact surface for effective pedaling, especially since great pedaling forces often must be applied.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,757 to Hanamura (1998) describes a clipless bicycle pedal with a large shoe contacting area. This pedal is intended to allow the cyclist encountering rough terrain to disengage the bicycle shoe from the clipless mechanism to pedal on the large contact surface. The problem then is that in the most difficult terrain, the cyclist is left with the least secure grip on the pedal. Thus, the mountain bicyclist using clipless pedals must choose between riding through rough terrain with shoes resting loosely and inefficiently on pedals or keeping shoes firmly attached and risking injury from a sudden fall preventing release of shoes from pedals.
Another disadvantage of clipless shoes has been discomfort, lack of traction, and clogging of the cleat with dirt when walking. Spikes, cleats, lugs, or studs similar to those used on football and soccer shoes are now commonly attached to the soles of clipless shoes to improve traction and comfort when walking or running with the bicycle over difficult terrain. Such studs have not been used to engage the shoe with the pedal, rather they have been disposed on the heel, toe, and perimeter portions of soles away from functional contact with pedals. Clipless cleats are plates attached to shoes for the purpose of engaging the shoes with pedals. Clipless cleats do not improve traction on turf or dirt and are dissimilar to the studs designed to enhance footing on the ground in outdoor sports such as soccer, football, and baseball and more recently in off-road bicycling. Fouling of the clipless cleat with dirt continues to be a problem.
Other devices involving shoe-mounted studs or lugs that mate and lock with receivers formed on bicycle pedals disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,480 to Trindle (1985), in U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,200 to Hawkins (1993), in U.S. Pat. No. 5284.066 to Weiss (1994), and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,523 to Lennon (1990) also may prevent release in emergency or unexpected stops and offer no advantages to the off-road cyclist over clipless pedals or straps. Such studs also interfere with walking and are dissimilar to the studs traditionally used on outdoor sport shoes to improve traction on turf. U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,808 to Hsieh discloses studs or posts mounted to a bicycle pedal that mate with apertures in a sole of a bicycle shoe to allow the shoe to be used for both cycling and running. The posts are designed to snap firmly into the composite sole thus may also prevent release in an unanticipated stop.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,090 to Solano (1987) discloses a shoe with a recessed sole designed to fit snugly around a platform pedal holding the shoe in a stable position in contact with the pedal while the bicyclist is riding over rough terrain. A problem with this design is that the shoe cannot pivot on the pedal thus providing no float to protect the rider""s knees. Another disadvantage of the recessed sole is that the added thickness in the remainder of the sole adds weight to the shoe without improving traction while walking. In wet conditions, the tightness of the fit of the recessed sole to the pedal can result in difficulty inserting pedals into mud-clogged soles. A similar concept disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,076 to Baume et al. (1993) involving contoured bars on the sole of a bicycle shoe matched with a complementary contoured pedal also prevents the shoe from pivoting on the pedal and functioning may be further impaired in muddy conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 2002/0194951 to Lowe describes in one embodiment a contoured sole in a ring-shaped pattern matched with a ring-shaped pedal body that allows the cyclist to pivot the shoe. Lowe""s system locks the shoe to the pedal by a retaining lip on the shoe ring that snaps onto the pedal ring. This system also may prevent or delay release in emergency or unexpected stops and offers no advantages to the off-road cyclist over clipless pedals or straps.
Due to difficulty releasing shoes from straps and clipless pedals, many mountain bicyclists prefer to use traditional platform pedals equipped with a plurality of protrusions in the form of dished teeth or pins to provide better traction between shoes and pedal cages. When a shoe does slip from such a pedal, the teeth or pins on the pedal cage can inflict a painful gash to the shin of the rider. Wearing shin guards is a common practice to reduce such injuries and is recommended as a safety precaution by manufacturers of such pedals.
FIG. 1 shows perspective view of a conventional pedal 10C with a threaded spindle 12C engaged in a crankarm 99 of a bicycle (not shown). The threaded spindle 12C is journalled in a pedal body 14C with a plurality of outer legs 16C and inner legs 18C attached to a U-shaped cage 20C. The cage 20C is comprised of a rear cross member 22C and a front cross member 24C connected by an outer cross member 26C. The rear and front cross members 22C and 24C have serrated edges, or dished teeth 28C.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a conventional generally rectangular or box-shaped cage pedal 10B also with a threaded spindle 12B engaged in a crankarm 99. The box-shaped pedal 10B is similarly comprised of the threaded spindle 12B journalled in a pedal body 14B. Extending from the body 14B, a plurality of outer legs 16B and inner legs 18B connect to a rear cross member 22B and a front cross member 24B. Embedded cylindrical pins 28B protrude along the upper and lower surfaces of the pedal body 14B, the legs 16B and 18B, and the cross members 22B and 24B.
The dished teeth 28C and the pins 28B help to prevent shoes (not shown) from sliding forward and backward on the pedals 10C and 10B respectively. However, as discussed above, the teeth 28C or the pins 28B expose the cyclist to risk of injury when the pedal 10C or 10B strikes the cyclist""s leg. Consideration of alternatives to hazardous pedals led to the current invention that involves mounting protrusions on a shoe rather than on a pedal.
The present invention solves the above-discussed problems and achieves a technical advance in the art by providing a method and apparatus in a bicycle shoe and a corresponding pedal that have the advantages of the idealized shoe and pedal above characterized. Studs, traditionally used in outdoor sports to improve traction on turf and dirt, are used in a novel way in the present invention to maintain the position of the cyclist""s shoe on the pedal enabling the cyclist to ride more efficiently and safely over rough terrain. In accord with the present invention, a bicycle shoe and pedal system comprises a shoe with studs as a means for force-transmitting engagement with a corresponding slot in a bicycle pedal. The shoe is comprised of an upper portion connected with a sole. At least one stud is attached to the sole as a means to engage the pedal. The pedal is comprised of a threaded spindle journalled in a pedal body, a plurality of legs extending from the body to a cage, and at least one stud-engaging slot disposed between the body, legs, and cage. The pedal legs, disposed laterally more toward the center of the pedal than legs on conventional pedals shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, allow room for studs positioned near the inner and outer edges of the sole as necessary for efficient and safe walking on the shoe.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
(a) ease of insertion of the shoe onto the pedal,
(b) firm connection of the shoe to the pedal allowing horizontal pushing and pulling force to be applied as well as downward pressure on the pedal,
(c) stability of the shoe on the pedal with no need to disengage or loosen the shoe from the pedal when riding over rough terrain,
(d) easy and rapid release of the shoe from the pedal as part of a natural motion in moving the foot up and away from the pedal then to the ground to prevent a fall,
(e) float allowing the heel to rotate relative to the ball of the foot thus preventing knee pain and discomfort in long rides,
(f) safety in readily releasing the shoe from the pedal as well as in being able to ride on smooth pedal cages that will not gash shins,
(g) excellent traction in running up hills and walking or carrying the bicycle in terrain that does not permit riding,
(h) functions well in dirt, mud, and other adverse conditions,
(i) improved traction and safety when riding in snow or on ice,
(j) light-weight, inexpensive, and maintenance-free,
(k) no special skill or learning period required, and
(l) enhanced enjoyment in off-road riding by shifting attention away from the pedals and onto the trails.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.